The China-UK Research Centre for Eco-Cities and Sustainable Development is a collaborative venture between Cardiff University and Hefei University of Technology and pursues an innovative research agenda on the development, management and sustainability of cities.
At Cardiff University, the Centre is based in the School of Geography and Planning. It builds on the School’s reputation for high-quality research and partnership working on cities and ecological development.
The Centre will provide research facilities and an opportunity for collaboration within the fields of climate change; and in the context of Chinese urbanisation green and low carbon development, material re-use and recycling; and ecological modernisation. Comparative research will be particularly important and the Centre will seek to identify and develop lessons learned in urban development and rural migration in Europe and China.
The Director of the Centre is Dr Li Yu (Cardiff University). He is assisted by two Deputy Directors, Professor Gang Chen (Hefei University of Technology) and Dr Andrew Flynn (Cardiff University).
Aims
- To promote theoretically innovative and empirically grounded research on eco-cities and sustainable development.
- To contribute to policy debates on sustainable urban futures.
- To support the training and career development postgraduate researchers.
- To enable research staff to gain funding on Centre research themes.
Research
The Centre has an international outlook with staff drawn from Cardiff University and Hefei University of Technology. We aim to bring together different disciplinary and academic traditions to explore theoretical perspectives on eco-city development, how citizens, business and government use eco-cities and the opportunities for lesson learning.
The Centre takes an inclusive perspective on eco-development, recognising that it involves the relationship between new urban areas and their rural hinterlands, the governance of urban spaces, methodologies for spatial analysis and the links between culture and development.
Key research themes for the Centre include:
- low carbon eco-city development
- integrated urban-rural development
- urban public policy and governance
- spatial environmental analysis
- cultural and historical heritage.
The Centre will deliver on its research themes by:
- bringing together individuals and research teams from the two Universities
- supporting research training for PhD students
- encouraging collaborative funded research projects
- participating in a visiting scholars programme to promote the exchange of staff between the two universities.
Projects
| Project name | Funded | Investigator(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Smart eco-cities for a green economy: a comparative study of Europe and China | ESRC, £48,333 | Dr L Yu, Dr A Flynn |
| The research for symbiosis between traditional buildings and environment in rural township in the process of urbanisation | British Council, £1,500 | Dr L Yu |
| The research for Liveable Quality and its Promotion Path for Xiamen | n/a | Dr L Yu, Dr A Flynn |
Meet the team
Centre Director
Academic staff
Postgraduate students
Publications
- Caprotti, F. and Yu, L. eds. 2017. Sustainable cities in Asia. Taylor & Francis. (10.4324/9781315643069)
- Hacking, N. and Flynn, A. 2017. Networks, power and knowledge in the planning system: a case study of energy from waste. Progress in Planning 113 , pp.1-37. (10.1016/j.progress.2015.12.001)
- Flynn, A. et al. 2017. Sustainability, space and supply chains: the role of bamboo in Anji County, China. Journal of Rural Studies 49 , pp.128-139. (10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.11.012)
- de Jong, M. et al., 2016. Eco city development in China: addressing the policy implementation challenge. Journal of Cleaner Production 134 (A), pp.31-41. (10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.03.083)
- Caprotti, F. et al., 2016. Smart-Eco Cities in the UK: Trends and City Profiles 2016. Project Report.Exeter: University of Exeter (SMART-ECO Project)
- Flynn, A. et al. 2016. Eco-cities, governance and sustainable lifestyles: The case of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. Habitat International 53 , pp.78-86. (10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.11.004)
- Yu, L. 2014. Low carbon eco-city: New approach for Chinese urbanisation. Habitat International 44 , pp.102-110. (10.1016/j.habitatint.2014.05.004)
- Yu, L. 2014. Combining qualitative and quantitative: meta-synthesis digital urban planning. Urban Development Studies 21 (2), pp.83-90.
- Yu, L. 2014. Existing problems of development and management in China’s small towns and proposed addressing policies. Urban Planning International 29 (1), pp.62-67.
Schools
Next steps
Research that matters
Our research makes a difference to people’s lives as we work across disciplines to tackle major challenges facing society, the economy and our environment.
Postgraduate research
Our research degrees give the opportunity to investigate a specific topic in depth among field-leading researchers.
Our research impact
Our research case studies highlight some of the areas where we deliver positive research impact.